On Oct. 7, the broomball season opens, uniting over 300 Iowa State teams in a strange phenomenon which overtakes the campus twice a year.

Sports Illustrated recently touted broomball as the most unique intramural event in any college.

Broomball is a sport similar to hockey in some respects, but at the same time it is also very different.

The unusual game is played in the Ames/ISU Ice Arena.

Participants wear helmets and gym shoes while running around the ice attempting to get a ball into the goal with a sweep of the broom.

The game consists of two 11-minute halves with a running clock and no time outs.

Each team has five players on the ice at a time. Substitutions can be made at will. As soon as one player has exited the ice, a new player can enter.

Linda Marticke, assistant intramural coordinator, said that broomball has been an ISU tradition for over 20 years.

She said that when she was a student, the university flooded the area north of Beyer Hall and waited for it to freeze.

The biggest change this year is that teams will have to pay a $10 entry fee to participate.

The fee guarantees two games, and pays for the high-priced ice time.

About four years ago, ISU charged a fee to play broomball, but then did away with the fee. Now, with increasing prices, and more teams being involved every season the charge had to be reinstated, Marticke said.

Students who have played broomball say there is nothing else like it.

Jason McLatchie, a junior in MIS and the RCA intramural chair, has played on two teams. He said, “It’s unique and different. It is more recreational and not as competitive as other sports.”

Rebecca Bahls, a junior in dietetics, has played on both women’s and co-rec teams.

She said she enjoys the sport because “it’s kind of like hockey, but with a few weird rules and changes which make it hard and fun to play.”

One of the biggest challenges of the game is just in trying to get to the ball.

Bahls said the problem is that you are running as quickly as possible on ice, and the faster you go, the sooner you will find yourself lying on your back on the ice.

Another aspect of the game is injuries.

More injuries occur in co-rec leagues than in male/female leagues.

There have been instances of dislocated jaws, cracked ribs and many cuts and bruises over the years.

Broomball does not require great skill and anyone can play, which attracts so many people to the sport.

It is also popluar simply because it is unlike other sports.

Matthew Craft, a sophomore in political science, said he was drawn to the sport because he had never played anything like it in his life.

Oct. 7 marks the beginning of the male/female season. The co-rec season opens up in the spring.

One warning: broomball players must be prepared to play into the wee hours of the morning because the last game begins at 1:30 a.m.

However, those who have played broomball agree the late night/early morning games are great fun and worth the wait.